Once the Prophet [Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) asked the Sahabah:
"Do you know in what relation your relatives, your wealth, and your deeds stand to you?"
The Sahabah expressed their desire to know about it. He replied:
"It can be likened to a person having three brothers. When he is about to die, he calls one of his brothers to him, and asks him: 'Brother! You know what plight is mine? What help can you render me at this juncture?' That brother replies: *I shall call the doctor to you, nurse you and attend upon you.
And when you are dead, I shall bathe you, enshroud you, and carry you to the grave. Then I shall pray for you after you are buried. This brother is his kith and kin. He puts the same question to the second brother, who delivers himself like this: 'I shall remain with you as long as you are alive. No sooner you are dead than I shall betake myself to someone else.
This brother is his wordly wealth. He then questions the last brother in the same strain, who makes response: 'I shall not forsake you even in your grave; and I shall accompany you into that place of utter solitude. When your deeds are weighed in the balance. I shall forthwith lend my weight to the scale of your good deeds and weigh it down.
This brother is the personification of his good deeds. Now, tell me, which of the brothers you regard to be the most useful to the person?' The Sahabah replied: *0, Prophet of Allah! The last brother is really the most useful to him. There is no doubt about it. The other two brothers were of no avail."
